Demba Ba’s difficult start to the season at Newcastle United has been
accentuated by a driving ban and criticism from a magistrate about his
attitude.

Ba was caught speeding twice last year, but refused to provide police with details of who was driving the car and then failed to appear in court without giving a reason on three separate occasions.

The Senegal international has been banned from driving for six months, fined £1000 and told to pay £85 in costs, although he has still not bothered to answer the charge in court.

The striker's form has been patchy for Newcastle so far this season and he is just one of the players manager Alan Pardew has challenged to improve when the Premier League programme resumes after the international break.

Police wrote to Ba, 27, in November last year and asked to provide details of who was driving his car when it was caught speeding twice.

Police would not release details of the vehicle involved, locations or speed but did confirm there had been two “speeding offences”.

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The former West Ham forward had from Nov 15 to Dec 13 to provide the details.

But Ba, who lives in Darras Road in Ponteland, Newcastle, failed to respond to their request.

He was subsequently charged with failing to supply driver information and told to appear at South East Northumberland magistrates on May 17 to answer the charge, but failed to show.

He was given six penalty points on his licence, fined £1,000, told to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge, taking him to 12 points on his licence.

The case was reopened for re-sentencing, but once again Ba failed to appear in court in Bedlington, Northumberland on August 1.

Ba, who is thought to earn around £50,000-a-week at Newcastle, was then written to by the court telling him to attend as magistrates were considering the ban. But he again failed to show, without explanation.

Chairman of the bench Peter Edwards said: “We are satisfied that Mr Ba has failed to attend court yet again.” Magistrates also told the court they “knew nothing” of the player’s means.